endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and SHH in the ISV of patients with varicocele. Materials and Methods: The study specimens were 1 cm of internal spermatic vein (ISV) obtained from 20 patients during left varicocele repair. The control samples of 1 cm ISV were obtained from 8 male patients who underwent left inguinal herniorrhaphy. We analyzed for VEGF and SHH protein expression by immunoblotting, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, double immunofluorescent staining and confocal laser scanning

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... icroscopy. The data were analyzed using the Student's t test. Results: Higher expression of VEGF and SHH proteins in varicocele veins than in the control group (P<.05) which located over muscle layers and endothelium were demonstrated by IHC staining. Both proteins co-localizated predominantly in endothelium of diseased veins under confocal laser scanning microscopy. Conclusion: This is the first reporting the SHH expression in varicocele veins of humans. Our findings revealed the higher expression of SHH and VEGF in muscle layer and endothelium of varicocele veins than in control group. Both proteins co-localized predominantly in the endothelium of these diseased veins.